I had to get new brakes on my SUV...$600. Ouch--plain and simple. Oh well you got to be able to stop...right? At least my mechanic had another free car to loan me so I was able to drive here and there. My son and I went to an outlet closeout type store that is a chain around my area...I got a box of Christmas cards for next year...20 for about 88 cents. Nice ones too....they have Bible verses and a nice saying. I was so happy to snag those! They will be for the residents I clean for--- next year! I resisted all gift wrapping stuff that I saw which was so cheap! I looked long and hard but made my son not let me buy anything.

Confession time!!! I returned two gifts I got...one from Loews and one from TARGET. Yes I am bad...more practical..useless items so why not. I guess that makes me bad. I got $50 back from one and $40 from another.....Maybe I am smart.

Did some shopping for food today since we are gettting a bad wind storm for Sunday. Sub zero temps as well. We bought snacks for dinner on Sunday night.....I decided to make dinner kinda fun. My kids are now all home with no school for two weeks. Monday I am off work so we are going to bake more cookies for fun. Everyone likes cookies right???

I am enjoying getting ready for Christmas....it is so nice for me. I enjoy just looking at my tree and lighting the candles and fireplace! I am so easy to please can you tell??? My sister called me and told me for some time on the telephone during our call together how stressed she was and overwhelmed. I have a very hard time feeling sorry for her as she chooses to work full time as a professor and she has a husband. I just can not feel too overly sorry for her. I must do much on my own....I have no one to help me. Everyone gets stressed and everyone gets to feeling overwhelmed---what else is new?? I think to complain about it non stop is not helpful.....just do the next thing or cross things off the list and let it go. I think she feels she has to do so many things for Christmas and it feels like a pressure cooker..when I feel that in the least.....I reflect on the reason for the season.....to me it is pretty much a religious day.....so all the pressure to perform fades away quickly. When I was married I felt that way. My ex's family is ridiclous over Christmas doings.....I never understood why I was in severe depression at New Years....now I know why. This is important for mothers to understand.....we are not Christmas Jeanies.....how sad for some mothers to suffer when it should be a peace-filled joy filled time.

Something to reflect on....Merry Christmas frugal friends.